Celtics Face Hugo Gonzalez Decision During Giannis Antetokounmpo Negotiations
The Boston Celtics won a championship with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum just two years ago, but that's old news. The organization could go in a new direction, as ESPN's Brian Windhorst said he "believes" that the Celtics offered Brown in a trade package to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo, via "Get Up!"
However, there will likely be other assets involved in the deal besides those two players, possibly including Celtics guard Hugo Gonzalez. They drafted the 6-foot-6, 200-pounder No. 28 overall in 2025, and he averaged 3.9 points on 47.6% shooting (36.2% 3-point) with 3.3 rebounds over 14.6 minutes (74 games) last season.
Boston would rather retain Gonzalez, per The Stein Line's Marc Stein.
"The Bucks, as we reported last night, have certainly asked for Hugo," he said on Monday. The Celtics, as Bill [Simmons] says, certainly prefer to keep him. Not exactly a make-or-break element but one of the variables that factors into this Boston vs. Miami [Heat] struggle."
The Bucks, as we reported last night, have certainly asked for Hugo.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 23, 2026
The Celtics, as Bill says, certainly prefer to keep him.
Not exactly a make-or-break element but one of the variables that factors into this Boston vs. Miami struggle. https://t.co/7jYab0efnS
Celtics Must Decide How Badly They Want Giannis Antetokounmpo
Boston could be trying to take advantage of Milwaukee's desperation, as Antetokounmpo is entering the last year of his contract before a $62.7 million player option next summer. The Bucks have shown recently that they're in no position to contend with the two-time NBA MVP on the roster, and they could try to trade him before the draft on Tuesday to acquire more 2026 picks. They haven't won a playoff series since 2022 and finished 32-50 last season, although he only played 36 games due to injury.
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Additionally, the Celtics could back out and retool around Tatum and Brown, with Gonzalez as part of that puzzle. On the other hand, the 31-year-old Antetokounmpo is still an All-NBA player when healthy, as he earned All-NBA First Team honors as recently as 2025. Brown earned Second Team honors this year, but swapping the two players would give both teams a fresh start as Boston tries to bounce back from its first-round exit and Milwaukee rebuilds.
If Gonzalez ends up being a main factor in why this deal doesn't go through, that will signal how much the Celtics believe in him. However, it's still too early to tell how this saga will end.
The 2026 NBA Draft starts on Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN. The Bucks have the No. 10 overall pick, while the Celtics have No. 27.
Related: New Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Report Delivers Bad News for Celtics
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This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 7:34 PM.